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I just went to my favorite local furniture shop, Two Jakes, because I’ve been looking for the past few months for a standing desk (or something that can function as a standing desk). I found this old industrial cart that can also double as a kitchen cart. It makes sense to me that sitting for over 8 hours a day on a computer must be bad for you. And then I read this article recently that stated:

New research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests that our definition of “sedentary” needs an update. Until now, Elik said, “sedentary behavior” has been misleadingly used as a synonym for not exercising. Elik believes the term “sedentary” should be reserved for muscular inactivity (such as sitting passively) as opposed to the absence of exercise.

Sitting is one of the most passive things you can do. You burn more energy by chewing gum or fidgeting than you do sitting still in a chair. Compared to sitting, standing in one place is hard work. To stand, you have to tense your leg muscles, and engage the muscles of your back and shoulders; while standing, you often shift from leg to leg. All of this burns energy.

For many people, weight gain is a matter of slow creep — two pounds this year, three pounds next year. You can gain this much if, each day, you eat just 30 calories more than you burn. Thirty calories is hardly anything — it’s a couple of mouthfuls of banana, or a few potato chips. Thus, a little more time on your feet today and tomorrow can easily make the difference between remaining lean and getting fat.